Reverse loop newbie


VTRailway

VTRailway

Active Member
Title pretty much sums it up. First time installing an auto reverser on my NCE power cab powered layout. The reverser is a DCC specialties ASR I bought many years ago when dabbling in the hobby. I have a reverse loop that comes off a #6 hand laid turnout with isolated power routed frog. The loco's run through the turnout fine when testing. This turnout will eventually be run by a tortoise but for now I'm in charge of it's route direction and power routing during testing. The reverse loop is right off the turnout. Test loco is a 4 axle GP38. The second it crosses the isolation gap to the turnout it shorts out. Do I need more spacing between the reverse loop and the turnout? currently 3/4" on both legs. Wondering if this needs to be increased to at least a locomotive length or if there is a minimum distance from a turnout that is recommended?
 
Here are a couple pics for refference
 

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So I moved the reverse loop 1 flex track section away from each leg of the turnout and tried again. Still shorts out. Read the manual (shoulda done this sooner) and found the isolation gaps need to be staggered by 3/4". This will be the next work sessions attempt. While reading the manual I did learn this reverser can control the turnout if connected to a tortoise. I had planned for this turnout to be controlled by a tortoise anyway so, BONUS!
 
Currently the frog is electrically isolated. There is a wire attached to it that im touching to a rail depending upon point position. This will eventually be controlled by a tortoise.
 
VTRailway said:
Currently the frog is electrically isolated. There is a wire attached to it that im touching to a rail depending upon point position. This will eventually be controlled by a tortoise.
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This could be part of you shorting problem. Your original insulation locations as shown in your picture should have worked, and not have to be moved a flex track length away from the frog. But do NOT power the frog from either rail, just leave it unpowered. Try running your loco through the loop again, with the frog unpowered, and see if something shorts out. If it does, then you'll need to dig deeper to find the cause. If you don't, then the Tortoise may not help later on either.
 
So the saga continues. Removed the plastic insulators and reinstalled metal joiners. Then per the manual, I cut two staggered isolation gaps 3/4” apart on both legs of the loop. Then verfied the isolation with a multi meter. Both rails and legs of the loop are isolated from other sections. Ran a loco and made it through one side. Reversed the loco and it shorted on the other gap. On e system was operational again, I ran it in the same manner. Works on one side shorts on the other. System reset. This time I tested the side shorting first thinking maybe it trips on thr second gap regardless of the side it started from. Nope. Shorts in the same place every time.

Back to the manual. Removed the asr from the layout and attached it to the bus as described in the testing section. LED should be on at D12 and D7. They are. Touch J1-1 - J2-3 with a wire and nothing should change. Good so far. Touch. J1-1 - J2-4. Polarity should change without shorting the power supply and D6 should flash slowly. FAILS! Shorts out the system. Move on with testing after it reboots.J1-2 - J2-4 nothing should change. Passes. J1-2 - J2-3 polarity flips and j6 LED flashes slowly. Passes. J1-2 - J2-4 should swap polarity and it does. Ran through tbis. Few times. Wotks! Tech support tomorrow will hopefully help me.
 
So spoke with tech support. . I was told to try setting CV49 equal to 1 OR install a jumper between pin J6-1 and J6-2. This will reduce the trip current and should solve the issue. I may not get back to this for a couple days.
 
Looking this all over again, I have a question:
Have you gone back to basics just to make sure the turnout itself works the way it should? You know, disconnect your reverse loop so that it is no longer continuous and run a loco through the turnout to make sure the problem isn't there?

Looking at your pic of the turnout, it's hard to tell, but are there isolation gaps in the PC board ties between the rail sections circled in red? If not, ether one of those could cause a short.
 

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KB02 said:
Looking this all over again, I have a question:
Have you gone back to basics just to make sure the turnout itself works the way it should? You know, disconnect your reverse loop so that it is no longer continuous and run a loco through the turnout to make sure the problem isn't there?

Looking at your pic of the turnout, it's hard to tell, but are there isolation gaps in the PC board ties between the rail sections circled in red? If not, ether one of those could cause a short.
Click to expand...
Early on before posting for help i did miss a gap on a pc board tie but resolved it. After resolving this trains run through the turnout perfectly.

i solved my reverse loop problem last night. I added a jumper to J6-1 and J6-2. This lowered the trip current to 1.48amps. Locos now cruise through as they should.

thanks to all that replied to assist me with this.
 
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